Windows 7 tips and tweaks

Check the logs in Windows 7 and Vista

If you are having problems with Windows 7 (or Vista), what can you do about it? The first thing to do is to try to find the cause of the problem. It could be a badly written program or driver, or it might be old software that simply isn't compatible. How do you find out which program or driver it is among the many that you have on your computer?

One way is to look at the logs. Windows keeps a log in which it stores a record of various events. Among the events stored are errors and by examining the logs, you might be able to spot the problem. If you are logged on as an administrator, then viewing the logs that Windows creates is very easy.

Click Start, right click Computer and then select Manage on the menu that is displayed. Expand System Tools on the left, then Event Viewer, then Windows Logs. When the Computer Management window appears, expand System Tools, then Event Viewer, then Windows Logs, and finally select Application in the panel on the left. Look down the list of items for ones with an exclamation symbol on a red background and Error displayed next to it. Select the event in the log and a description is shown below. You won't understand everything it says, but try to pick out the filename from the rest of the gobbledygook. If the same program crops up in several errors, then you know that there's something wrong with it. An updated version might cure the error.

The other logs - Security, Setup, and System - can help too, so check them for errors.

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